Coming up on Our No Water No Beer Speaker Series

Join us for a "Deep Dive" on fisheries management in the Chesapeake Bay, with focus on the impact of blue catfish on striped bass and blue crab populations.

March 25, 2026, 5:30 - 7:30 pm

An evening of networking and exploration with Veronica . . .

Introduced in the 1970s, invasive blue catfish have rapidly expanded across Chesapeake Bay due to their high adaptability and appetite, impacting the socio-ecological systems of native striped bass and blue crab fisheries. An integrated analysis of trophic and human dimensions is necessary to inform adaptive management. This study employs socio-ecological network analysis to examine fisheries management networks in the Patapsco, York, and Rappahannock River watersheds. By integrating ecological and stakeholder networks into a multi-level model, this research explores cross-scale interdependencies among invasive and native fishery, highlights the influence of blue catfish, and underscores the need for adaptive management strategies to promote sustainable fisheries governance across the Chesapeake Bay. Leveraging open-source resources, this methodology is both cost-effective and easily replicable, making it a valuable tool for natural resource management.  Web-scraped data were analyzed using centrality metrics such as Degree, Eigenvector, and Betweenness. Social network maps for blue catfish, striped bass, and blue crab management were compared across watersheds to assess influential, bridging, and excluded actors. Ecological networks were constructed from diet data to identify prey overlap and network connections.

The evening will also feature Checkerspot Brewing Co. beer sourced with Baltimore's delicious tap water.  

What better way to learn about fisheries management, than with this awesome brew crafted with Baltimore's best tap water???

Join us for an evening exploring the life beneath Baltimore Harbor's surface. 

May 6, 2026, 5:30 - 7:30 pm

An evening exploring Maryland’s iconic state crustacean . . .  Dr. Eric J. Schott received his B.A. from Reed College, Portland OR and his Ph.D. in genetics from Harvard University Medical School, Boston, MA. Dr. Schott began his work with the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute in Baltimore, Maryland in 1997. He assumed his present position in 2010 as Research Assistant Professor for the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET).

Dr. Schott is active in science education and watershed preservation, and has served on the boards of related nonprofits since 2006. Over the summer of 2016 he hosted local high school teachers learning about biodiversity in Baltimore Harbor and mentored a high school intern who studied blue crab health. Recent outreach activity includes science fair judging in the Baltimore City Schools (May 23, 2016), a “Bay Day” Blue crab demonstration (May 14, 2016) at the Phillips Wharf Environmental Center in Tilghman Island, and a public lecture (April 12, 2016) at the Chesapeake Biological Lab: “Why do blue crab numbers change from year to year?” 

The Schott lab research focuses on understanding aquatic health, particularly the discovery and tracking of estuarine pathogens in the blue crab and other shellfish. Dr. Schott also collaborates with numerous researchers and stakeholders, applying molecular methods to monitor the health and biodiversity of Baltimore Harbor. 

The evening will also feature Checkerspot Brewing Co. beer sourced with Baltimore's delicious tap water.  

What better way to learn about fisheries management, than with this awesome brew crafted with Baltimore's best tap water???